SoundThinking
SoundThinking (NASDAQ: SSTI) is a public safety technology company that sells AI-driven gunshot detection, weapons detection, crime data intelligence, patrol management, and investigation management software to approximately 2,100 law enforcement and security agencies worldwide.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersFremont, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
SoundThinking firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SoundThinking
- Legal name
- SoundThinking, Inc.
- Website
- https://soundthinking.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- SoundThinking (NASDAQ: SSTI) is a public safety technology company that sells AI-driven gunshot detection, weapons detection, crime data intelligence, patrol management, and investigation management software to approximately 2,100 law enforcement and security agencies worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SoundThinking industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Safety Software
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (56162), Investigation and Security Services (5616)
- SIC
- Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trust, Safety & Risk Support (Fraud, Abuse, Policy Enforcement) (BPAAABAI)
Keywords
Where SoundThinking is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fremont
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SoundThinking business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Recurring (Agency Contracts): Annual subscription fees from law enforcement and security agencies for access to SafetySmart Platform products including ShotSpotter, CrimeTracer, CaseBuilder, ResourceRouter, and SafePointe. Revenue guidance for 2026 set at $109-111 million.
- Professional Services - Forensic Services: Expert witness services and forensic analysis for gunshot incidents. Expert Witness Services available at $350 per hour with minimum 5 hours. Includes Detailed Forensic Report (DFR) generation for court-admissible evidence.
- Software Subscriptions - CaseBuilder: Tiered annual subscription fee based on agency size, including 24x7x365 customer support and best practices consulting. One-time setup fee covers provisioning, data integrations, and training.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Expert Witness Services - $350/hour with 5-hour minimum |
| Subscription | Annual | CaseBuilder tiered annual subscription based on agency size |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
SoundThinking product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SoundThinking sells an integrated AI-driven public safety technology platform (SafetySmart) that combines acoustic gunshot detection (ShotSpotter), AI-based weapons detection (SafePointe), license plate recognition (PlateRanger), crime data intelligence (CrimeTracer), investigation case management (CaseBuilder), and data-driven patrol management (ResourceRouter), delivered as annual subscriptions primarily to law enforcement agencies and security organizations. The company also offers usage-based forensic and expert witness services tied to gunshot incident data.
Product overview
SoundThinking offers a unified SafetySmart Platform combining AI-driven public safety technology with strategic advisory services, organized around a portfolio of integrated products and modules. The core platform integrates six named product lines: ShotSpotter (acoustic gunshot detection and location, covering outdoor environments with approximately 97% accuracy), SafePointe (AI-based stealth weapons detection for indoor and outdoor spaces, added via the 2023 acquisition of SafePointe LLC), CrimeTracer (a law enforcement search engine and agency-wide crime data platform connecting over 1 billion records from 2,100+ agencies), CaseBuilder (cloud-based investigation and case management, including the specialized CaseBuilder Crime Gun module for gun crime tracking and NIBIN lead management), ResourceRouter (automated patrol management and directed patrol planning), and PlateRanger (AI-powered license plate recognition). The SafetySmart Field Agent (AI layer launched June 2026) sits atop the platform as a conversational AI interface for querying operational data via voice or text. Forensic Services provides expert witness and litigation support tied to ShotSpotter data. The platform is extended by specialized vertical applications (ShotSpotter for Highways, Corporate, Campuses, and Perimeters) and community programs (ResourceRouter Community and Data for Good) that share gunfire data with non-law enforcement stakeholders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ShotSpotter: Gunshot detection and location technology - acoustic sensors that detect, locate and alert police to gunfire incidents within 60 seconds
- SafetySmart
- CrimeTracer
- CaseBuilder
- ResourceRouter
- SafePointe
- PlateRanger
- Field Agent
Products and services
- ShotSpotter Acoustic gunshot detection and location technology using a network of sensors to detect, classify, and triangulate outdoor gunfire events and alert law enforcement within 60 seconds; covers 180+ cities with ~97% accuracy and <0.5% false positive rate.
- SafePointe Intelligent stealth weapons detection technology that uses AI to detect concealed weapons in indoor and outdoor environments for healthcare, corporate, hospitality, and education security settings.
- CrimeTracer CJIS-compliant law enforcement search engine connecting over 1 billion structured and unstructured records from 2,100+ agencies, providing natural-language query, link analysis, NIBIN lead linking, patrol/trends dashboards, and entity summaries for investigators.
- CaseBuilder Cloud-based investigation management software enabling law enforcement agencies to capture, track, and collaborate on investigations via digital case folders, with case chronology, link analysis, evidence management, tip corroboration, and courtroom-ready presentations.
- CaseBuilder Crime Gun Gun-crime focused case management module on the CaseBuilder platform that enables agencies to capture, track, prioritize, and analyze firearm incidents, including NIBIN lead import, ballistics tracking, and association of incidents from the same firearm using CGIC best practices.
- ResourceRouter Patrol management software that automates data-driven, intelligence-led directed patrol assignments at the shift and beat level using Part 1 crime data, generating daily patrol plans, providing real-time updates to officers, and producing patrol impact reporting.
- ResourceRouter Community Community violence intervention software that helps CVI and social service programs optimize resource deployments, identify crime hotspots, and track worker engagement activities with accountability reporting for funders and policymakers.
- PlateRanger AI-powered license plate recognition and vehicle recognition system that captures and processes plate reads, associating them with gunfire incidents and enabling investigative leads for law enforcement and security use cases.
- SafetySmart Platform Unified public safety platform integrating AI-based software solutions including ShotSpotter, SafePointe, PlateRanger, ResourceRouter, CrimeTracer, CaseBuilder, and Forensic Services, connecting data across law enforcement, civic leadership, and security authorities.
- SafetySmart Field Agent AI-powered conversational layer for the SafetySmart platform that allows public safety users to query operational data via voice or text to generate pre-shift briefings, deployment plans, maps, charts, reports, and exports.
- Forensic Services Expert forensic analysis and litigation support services for law enforcement and attorneys, including Detailed Forensic Reports, expert witness testimony ($350/hour with 5-hour minimum), investigative services for warrants and officer-involved shootings, and business record certifications, with DFRs admitted in 400+ court cases in 25 states.
- ShotSpotter for Perimeters Gunshot detection solution tailored for perimeter security and critical infrastructure protection, detecting and locating outdoor gunfire threats around secured perimeters to protect staff, visitors, and physical assets.
- ShotSpotter for Highways Gunshot detection solution specifically designed for highway environments, identifying precise shooting locations and the speed and direction of moving shooters on roadways to reduce closure times and improve clearance rates for highway shooting cases.
- ShotSpotter for Corporate Gunshot detection solution for corporate facilities, government buildings, retail, transportation, critical infrastructure, and entertainment venues, providing real-time active shooter alerts and situational awareness for security and first responders.
- ShotSpotter for Campuses Gunshot detection solution for campus environments including higher education and schools, leveraging gunshot detection and ALPR technology to enhance student, faculty, and staff safety with discreet, rapid response capabilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% global accuracy rate for gunshot detection with <0.5% false positive rate
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SoundThinking
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SoundThinking technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability13 records
Feature8 records
SoundThinking partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Thomson Reuters CLEAR®coreAlliance through which CrimeTracer Gen3 brings Thomson Reuters CLEAR public records alongside law enforcement data within CJIS-compliant boundaries, enhancing investigative capabilities with expanded data sources.
- AWS GovCloudcoreCloud infrastructure provider hosting SoundThinking products including CaseBuilder and CrimeTracer on CJIS, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, SOC2, SOC3, and DoD SRG certified infrastructure.
- CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services)coreFBI Criminal Justice Information Services compliance framework enabling secure access to criminal justice information across law enforcement systems.
- First Responders' BridgeminorNon-profit organization supporting officer wellness; SoundThinking partnership during National Police Week 2026 to honor fallen officers and support law enforcement community.
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)minorProfessional organization for Black law enforcement executives; SoundThinking partnership supporting officer wellness and community safety initiatives.
- Strides for PeaceminorNon-profit focused on community safety; SoundThinking partnership supporting officer wellness and community safety initiatives.
- African American Mayors Association (AAMA)minorPartnership at AAMA 2022 Annual Conference to address youth gun violence with Baltimore Mayor and thought leaders, focusing on community-based solutions.
- Cities UnitedminorNon-profit focused on reducing youth gun violence; collaboration at AAMA panel on addressing gun violence impacting young people and families.
- NYU School of Law Policing ProjectcoreIndependent privacy assessment conducted by NYU Policing Project to evaluate ShotSpotter technology for privacy protections, resulting in recommendations adopted by SoundThinking.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SoundThinking competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Axon Enterprise: Axon is a direct competitor in law enforcement technology, offering TASER conducted energy weapons, body cameras, digital evidence management (Evidence.com), and AI-powered products. Both companies target the same police agency customers with mission-critical public safety hardware and software, and increasingly overlap in computer vision and AI analytics for law enforcement.
- Flock Safety: Flock Safety is a direct competitor in the law enforcement technology space, best known for its License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras and more recently a network of acoustic gunshot detection devices. The company's PlateRanger LPR product directly competes with Flock's core offering for the same police and neighborhood customers.
Broad incumbents
- Motorola Solutions: Motorola Solutions is a broad incumbent in public safety technology, providing command center software, radio communications, body cameras (WatchGuard/V700), and video analytics through its Safekeeping and CommandCentral platforms. It was also a historical investor in SoundThinking, indicating deep familiarity with the segment. It competes via integrated suites that can bundle against SoundThinking's narrower offering.
- Palantir Technologies: Palantir is a broad incumbent providing data analytics and operational intelligence platforms (Gotham, Foundry) used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Its Foundry platform competes at the crime-data-intelligence and investigative-analytics layer where SoundThinking's CrimeTracer operates, though at a much larger scale and price point.
- Verkada: Verkada is a broad incumbent in physical security, providing cloud-managed video surveillance, access control, and environmental sensors to enterprise and government customers. It overlaps with SoundThinking in the corporate security and education segments via the SafePointe weapons detection value chain.
- Genetec: Genetec is a broad incumbent in physical security software, offering unified video surveillance, access control, and license plate recognition through Security Center and AutoVu. It competes with PlateRanger (LPR) and the integrated SafetySmart Platform in the enterprise and government security segments.
Emerging players
- EAGL Technology: EAGL Technology is an emerging player in gunshot detection, providing outdoor and indoor acoustic gunshot detection sensors that compete directly with ShotSpotter. As a smaller niche competitor, it sometimes wins procurements where price-conscious municipalities seek alternatives to SoundThinking's premium positioning.
- BriefCam: BriefCam is an emerging player in video analytics for security, providing AI-powered video summarization, search, and real-time alerting used by law enforcement and enterprise security teams. It overlaps with SoundThinking's investigative analytics and surveillance intelligence use cases, particularly for agencies that want to extract more from existing video infrastructure.
- Dataminr: Dataminr is an emerging player in real-time risk and event detection, providing AI-driven alerts from public data streams to first responders, corporations, and news organizations. Its First Alert product for public safety overlaps with the situational awareness and early-warning capabilities that ShotSpotter provides for gunfire events.
- CivicEye: CivicEye is an emerging player in public safety software, providing records management, computer-aided dispatch, and analytics platforms for law enforcement agencies. Its RMS/CAD suite overlaps with parts of CaseBuilder and the broader SafetySmart Platform for mid-sized agencies seeking a single-vendor public safety back office.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SoundThinking social profiles
Digital presenceSoundThinking compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
SoundThinking financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SoundThinking leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles24 records
SoundThinking subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
SoundThinking funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors12 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SoundThinking M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SoundThinking
What does SoundThinking do?
SoundThinking sells an integrated AI-driven public safety technology platform (SafetySmart) that combines acoustic gunshot detection (ShotSpotter), AI-based weapons detection (SafePointe), license plate recognition (PlateRanger), crime data intelligence (CrimeTracer), investigation case management (CaseBuilder), and data-driven patrol management (ResourceRouter), delivered as annual subscriptions primarily to law enforcement agencies and security organizations. The company also offers usage-based forensic and expert witness services tied to gunshot incident data.
Is SoundThinking a public or private company?
SoundThinking is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was SoundThinking founded?
SoundThinking was founded in 1999. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is SoundThinking based?
SoundThinking is headquartered in Fremont, United States, in the North America region.
How does SoundThinking make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Recurring (Agency Contracts) is the primary driver. The others are professional Services - Forensic Services and software Subscriptions - CaseBuilder.
Who are SoundThinking's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Axon Enterprise and Flock Safety. Broad incumbents are Motorola Solutions, Palantir Technologies, Verkada and Genetec. Emerging players are EAGL Technology, BriefCam, Dataminr and CivicEye.
Does SoundThinking have an API?
Yes. The ShotSpotter Notification Engine API integrates with multiple technology platforms to provide real-time gunshot location and time data. The API can be integrated with almost all security technologies to automatically enhance response and investigative follow-up to shooting incidents. Data can be pushed to CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch), RMS (Records Management Systems), LPR (License Plate Reader) systems, and mobile devices (MDTs). The API also integrates with point-and-zoom cameras, access control or PSIM systems, and mass communication platforms.
What industry is SoundThinking in?
SoundThinking's product category is Public Safety Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAABAI, Trust, Safety & Risk Support (Fraud, Abuse, Policy Enforcement). Its NAICS code is 56162 and its SIC code is 7381.